Purchase of Own Securities

AstraZeneca PLC
22 August 2001

                   REPURCHASE OF SHARES IN ASTRAZENECA PLC





AstraZeneca PLC announces that on 21 August 2001, it purchased for
cancellation 520,000 ordinary shares of AstraZeneca PLC at a price of 3291
pence per share. Upon the cancellation of these shares, the number of shares
in issue will be 1,757,578,018.







G H R Musker
Company Secretary
22 August 2001